Image consultant and ICF-certified life coach Tina Walia discusses how changing careers, greater visibility and the realities of everyday dressing are shaping what individuals and companies want from image consultation.
Key takeaways
- Image consultation starts with how your week actually runs, not just what is in your wardrobe.
- A new role calls for clothes that work through a real working day, not a more formal wardrobe by default.
- For companies, workshops turn broad terms such as “business casual” into practical guidance for each role.
- For individuals, the best advice begins with the pieces you already own and love.
On a day that starts with a team meeting, moves to a client lunch and ends with a recorded interview, getting dressed can take more thought than it used to. The jacket needs to work in an air-conditioned office and on the way there. The shirt has to sit well when you’re on camera. And by the time you walk into the lunch, you want to be thinking about the conversation, not adjusting your clothes.
For Tina Walia, a day like that tells her more about what someone needs than a look at their wardrobe alone. “When someone tells me, ‘I have a full wardrobe and still don’t know what to wear,’ I ask them to walk me through their week,” she says. “Their clothes may still suit the life they were living when they bought them.”
When a new role changes what you need
A promotion can take someone from contributing in meetings to leading them. A founder who has built a business through personal referrals may suddenly need to speak on panels, record videos and meet investors. And someone returning after a career break may find that both the office dress code and their own preferences have changed.
“People often assume a bigger role calls for a more formal wardrobe,” says Walia. “I’m more interested in what the role actually asks of them. Are they travelling, meeting clients, leading a team? A jacket you’re comfortable wearing through a full day of meetings is worth far more than one that only looks good in the trial room.”
A jacket you’re comfortable wearing through a full day of meetings is worth far more than one that only looks good in the trial room.
Tina Walia
For someone stepping into leadership, a useful starting point is to build three outfits around the situations they encounter most often:
- Client meeting: An unlined navy jacket over a light knit and tailored trousers can work for a client meeting.
- Ordinary office day: A crisp shirt or a well-cut kurta with straight trousers may feel more natural on an ordinary office day.
- Presentation: For a presentation, a solid-colour top that stands out against the backdrop can make getting ready simpler.
Try the outfit seated and standing, and record a short clip under the lighting you’ll actually use.
The same rehearsal can help with communication. “You might notice that you speak clearly about your subject once you get going, but hurry through your introduction,” Walia says. “You can practise the first two sentences and give yourself a moment to breathe before you begin.”
What image consultation can offer corporate teams
A corporate dress code can sound clear on paper until someone has to dress for a day split between a site visit and a client presentation. For companies, an image consultation or workshop can make broad terms such as business casual more useful by showing how they apply to different roles, workplaces and occasions.
A client-facing team might build around a shared palette of navy, charcoal and cream, with options that include trousers and a jacket, a tailored kurta set or a sari suited to the demands of the day. A hospitality team might focus on breathable fabrics, comfortable footwear and garments that allow people to move easily through a long shift. For employees who spend much of their time on video calls, a workshop could cover everything from checking how fine patterns look on camera to practising a concise introduction.
The most useful dress guidelines answer the questions employees actually have:
- What should I wear to meet a client?
- What’s appropriate for a company event?
- Which pieces can I wear on a regular office day and dress up when needed?
Examples across different budgets and clothing preferences make those guidelines easier to use.
For individuals, start with what you already wear
Style advice is easy to find. What’s harder to find is advice that accounts for your budget, your commute and the pieces you keep reaching for. A blazer that looks effortless online might spend most of the year unworn in Delhi. Shoes that finish an outfit in a photograph may be the last pair you’d choose for a day on your feet.
“I’d rather help someone get three outfits out of a piece they already love than give them a long shopping list,” says Walia. “Once they understand why something works for them, they can make that decision on their own the next time.”
If you’re considering a consultation, bring:
- two outfits you wear often,
- one you like but rarely reach for, and
- a real occasion you find hard to dress for.
The conversation can get specific quickly. A pair of trousers may need hemming to work with the shoes you already own. A kurta you reserve for occasions might work on a weekday with straight trousers and simple flats. A favourite jacket may earn more wear once you find a light layer that sits comfortably underneath. Those small decisions also show where a new purchase would make a difference.
Walia measures the value of the work after the occasion that first brought someone in. “I’m interested in what happens on an ordinary Tuesday. Can you get dressed without trying on half your wardrobe? Can you walk into a meeting and focus on the conversation? That’s when you know the advice has earned its place in your life.”
That’s when you know the advice has earned its place in your life.
Tina Walia
About Tina Walia
Tina Walia is an image consultant and an International Coaching Federation (ICF)–certified life coach. She brings together personal style, communication and coaching to help people develop a professional presence that feels natural to them. Her approach is grounded in the situations clients encounter every day, from returning to work or stepping into leadership to speaking on camera and representing a business in front of clients.
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